If there any devil ? (Jesus, religion, demons, people)

[Tom-2011]

Being a soul guy, karma, reincarnation, life to make your self perfect until you can enter heaven etc.

I would say there is a form of the devil in all of us, the things we do that harm others and ourselves.

These things affect our souls, shaping us for better or worse.

[vamos]

There must be. Who or what else could have come up with a concept of religion that functions to divide people and provides a great backdrop for all kinds of atrocities?

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Unbridled selfish responses to our inner drives irrespective of the harm they inflict on others.

Originally Posted by peppermint

I'm not trying to be argumentative; it's just that this sort of language is vague to me and in need of clarification. Are you saying that it's the response that is the devil? It seemed to me that others were saying that it is the emotion itself that is the devil, which I believe is total garbage. I'm not sure I can agree that responses are devils or evil or demonic or wrong or whatever.

Also, does "others" refer strictly to human beings?

Unbridled = completely unrestrained. Selfish= concerned only with self. Responses to our inner drives = actions we take to satisfy our inner drives. Irrespective of the harm they inflict on others = wanting to satisfy the drives without any care or concern for the harm our satisfying those drives does to anyone else. Whenever we do that WE are Satan.

[peppermint]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Unbridled = completely unrestrained. Selfish= concerned only with self. Responses to our inner drives = actions we take to satisfy our inner drives. Irrespective of the harm they inflict on others = wanting to satisfy the drives without any care or concern for the harm our satisfying those drives does to anyone else. Whenever we do that WE are Satan.

Thanks. That didn't answer my questions. I suppose you're defining "Satan" as negative behaviors that result from "negative" emotions (i.e. murder, lashing out, abuse)? Is that right?

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by peppermint

Thanks. That didn't answer my questions. I suppose you're defining "Satan" as negative behaviors that result from "negative" emotions (i.e. murder, lashing out, abuse)? Is that right?

All our drives are considered good by our body since it is entirely focused on our survival and enjoyment (pleasure/pain) The limbic system (old brain or reptilian brain) does not have any cognitive function or ability to discriminate among the drives it generates in response to external or internal stimuli. That makes it the devil, the Serpent, or Satan because it is totally self-oriented and a source of evil (indiscriminate unrestrained response). We have the ability to discern when our responses to those drives will cause harm to others and to not respond. That is how we apply the concept of Good to our behaviors and thoughts. If you would be more complete in what you are questioning perhaps I could answer you more effectively. I do not read minds . . . my screen name notwithstanding.

[peppermint]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

All our drives are considered good by our body since it is entirely focused on our survival and enjoyment (pleasure/pain) The limbic system (old brain or reptilian brain) does not have any cognitive function or ability to discriminate among the drives it generates in response to external or internal stimuli. That makes it the devil, the Serpent, or Satan because it is totally self-oriented and a source of evil (indiscriminate unrestrained response). We have the ability to discern when our responses to those drives will cause harm to others and to not respond. That is how we apply the concept of Good to our behaviors and thoughts. If you would be more complete in what you are questioning perhaps I could answer you more effectively. I do not read minds . . . my screen name notwithstanding.

I asked you questions to the best of my ability. I won't bother in the future.

[impossoblenew]

Originally Posted by impossoblenew

Hello.
Is there any devil ?
Or dark consciousness ?

Yes, I likes jokes too.

But ones in a dark night
at piknick
we saw a ray of light in the sky,
and than
we saw inhuman being
he was like a young fellow.

He started to fight with us.

Two of my friend at the morning was dark and cold
and suddenly went far away without the cause.
they did not tell anything.

Now I don't know what happened to them.

He captured their mind.


What you say ?
It was real.

Then he met with me and tried to capture me.
He said I must give up.
He said his mission is Earth.

I remained alive by miracle.

[Asheville Native]

^^^^^^^^^^^ sounds like a bad drug trip

[impossoblenew]

No, it was real.

Places, Facts all is there.

I like jokes but it is not ones.

What to do now ?

[CaptBeavs]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

All our drives are considered good by our body since it is entirely focused on our survival and enjoyment (pleasure/pain) The limbic system (old brain or reptilian brain) does not have any cognitive function or ability to discriminate among the drives it generates in response to external or internal stimuli. That makes it the devil, the Serpent, or Satan because it is totally self-oriented and a source of evil (indiscriminate unrestrained response). We have the ability to discern when our responses to those drives will cause harm to others and to not respond. That is how we apply the concept of Good to our behaviors and thoughts. If you would be more complete in what you are questioning perhaps I could answer you more effectively. I do not read minds . . . my screen name notwithstanding.

So because we're a more highly evolved society, that considers the impact of our actions on others (and, more to the point, considers the blowback on us), this means satan suddenly exists? Whereas before, when we thought as reptiles, Satan didn't exist?

If I'm reading you correctly, then you believe Satan exists entirely in our conscious imagination.

I agree.